emmsy poo

Hi All

Rob (my hubby) and I are looking at where to live in NZ (should we be accepted) and Wellington and Nelson seem to be the hot favourites. I cant find a thread regarding Nelson so if anyone out there could tell us what it like to live and work there we would be most greatful.

Photos would be cool too.

Many thanks

Em & Rob

nelsonpom

Hi guys.
We currenly live in Nelson which we love and used to live in Wellington which was also good but got fed up with the weather. Nelson is well protected so doesn't get much in the way of wind. It is also one of the sunniest places in NZ regularly fighting with Blenheim for the title of sunniest city. We live 5 mins from the centre of Nelson which is very peaceful. Nelson has a population of around 40000 but this more than doubles in the summer when tourists and holidaymakers arrive. It has a very busy port here and lots of boats. Like most cities it is growing rapidly and qualified electricians will be in much demand.
It can get pretty cold in winter, a few frosts but never snows. We are only about 1 hour from rainbow ski fields if you are a skier though. Abel Tasman national park is very close and very beautiful. The scenery is wonderful and I can't speak highly enough of the area.
Feel free to ask anything.
Darren and Vicky

emmsy poo

Wow!!

Looks fantastic, we are getting so much good feedback about Nelson.

Thanks guys!

emmsy poo

Hi Darren and Vicky

Sounds like you are really settled there.

If we wanted to find out about electrician jobs in the Nelson area, whats the best way to go about it, do you know of any companies or agencies we might be able to contact?

Also would there be any companies/agencies that I could contact regarding looking for an Occupational Health & Safety Manager role??

Many thanks

Emma

Heal

We are moving to Nelson next week and can't wait.
When I visited last year the best way to describe it personally for me was if I had a blank piece of paper and designed a place to live,this area wouldn't far off the mark.
For us it as just about everything for our family.
We feel so lucky and really appreciate being in a position to live in one of the most beautiful areas in the world.
Latest version of google earth as lots of photo's of the area.
Best of luck in whatever you decide.

nelsonpom

Hi Guys
I will have a think about agencies etc but your first port of call should be seek.co.nz or trademe.co.nz one is a job website and the other has jobs on it.
You can also try advancedpersonnel.co.nz or coverstaff.co.nz both agencies in Nelson.
Good luck
Darren

emmsy poo

Cheers guys

This is really helpful!

Many thanks

Ems & Rob

shazniko

Hi everybody

I am a midwife hopefully emigrating to NZ next year with my hubby and 2 young children. We have been trying to research various areas that would be suitable for us but we are no further forward!
Has anyone got experience of the maternity hospital in Nelson? Has anyone got any opinions on Whangarei because that was another area we had considered? I had emailed a hospital manager from Hawkes Bay and was told that there are a few 'dodgy' areas to watch out for so it has put us off slightly into looking further into hastings and napier.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

pixi-dust

My friend had her baby in Whangarei last year, I was there for the whole thing and have to say the experience was wonderful. The staff were a delight and all looked really happy ( heehee ) The maternity part is not huge and from what I saw everyone had their own rooms, it looks like quite an old hospital inside ( I have no experience of hospitals so might be completely wrong) but it was all clean.
Obviously I know being there for a day is nothing! But it was really nice.

Whangarei its self comes in for a lot of stick, but I really like it, there are some lovely areas that I drive through when I go down - I'm sorry I dont know the names of them Also stunning areas outside with a short drive to work.

ETA I was down in Nelson this autumn and absolutely LOVED it, if we werent so happy where we are I would move there, of all our explores so far it is our favourite, also really liked Wellington.

shazniko

Hi pixi-dust

Why does Whangarei get some stick though??? Are there a lot of dodgy areas? Has it got high unemployment? We went to NZ for 3 weeks in February this year and whenever we mentioned that we were thinking about settling in Whangarei everyone said that there were better places to go than there!

We need to settle in an area where there are lots of children as my husband is intending to set up an outdoor softplay business with bouncy castles, climbing frames etc. We need good weather all year round to make it work! With having two young girls, we will also be looking for good schools too.

So in your opinion, would Nelson be a better place to settle than Whangarei? Have you any experience of Hawkes Bay?

Thanks.

cally49

Hi there this may be of some help to you http://www.nelsonnz.com/
Cheers
Cally

pixi-dust

I honestly don't know. When we said to one of our friends uncles ( who is a kiwi who lives in Hamilton and always has) that we were going to live in northland he told us we were stupid, it was poor, run down, and very maori ( these are his words definitely not mine ) and he said it like that was a problem. We totally ignored his opinion and have found it to be friendly, lovely, beautiful and everything we could want. Turns out he hadnt been north of Auckland for 30 years! What you'll find is people always have opinions, even if they don't actually know the answer.
As far as I can see it doesnt have any more dodgy areas than any other small city/town.
We love northland. I like Whangarei very much- it was originally where we thought we'd be for a job and were very happy with that. ( turns out DH got a job further north) but I go there about once every couple of weeks to shop, have a wander around etc. And to be totally honest I can't find anything I dont like about it. But this is only me!
Personally I wouldnt live in the city, but thats because I don't want to live in one.
You have the Bay of Islands on your doorstep

Nelson I can only comment on from being there for 4 days!
BUt we loved it. It's bigger than Whangarei in the centre, laid out in a sort of grid, lots of trees, easy to get around, sort of got an arty, slightly hippy feel. The shops and cafes are a mix of old fashioned and new and trendy. I would say the centre has got a bit more going for it than Whangarei. here you have Abel Tasman right on your doorstep.

Both areas have lots of kids and families from what I can see.

I don't know Hawkes Bay at all, so can't say anything!

As always you would really have to see both areas for yourself to make a decision. You could spend a few days in each just to get a feel for them.

cally49

Hi there i have sent you a private message
Cheers
Cally

BEVS

Here is a link to

The Harlequin Guide to Nelson. (click the link)

shazniko

Hi Cally

Thanks for the PM but I cant access it until I have made more than 3 posts according to the administrator! I'll eventually get to read it though.

Shazniko